If you could add a new room type to DVC, what would it be?

[samples78]

In daydreaming about potential future DVC locations (a GF girl can dream), I got to thinking - what types of room categories would I like to see added. I have heard, on occasion, posters stating that as much as they like the idea of DVC and the resorts, the room types and configurations just don't fit in with the way they travel. So, if you were to have a say in the design of the next DVC, what might you add and/or change to the room types available?

For example, my family consists of myself, DH and three daughters. A few types of accommodations that would suit us better are:

1. A Studio Plus: By this I mean an extended studio that has just been stretched out an extra 7 or 8 feet and now has 2 queen beds and a sleeper sofa. This type of room would maybe cost 1.25 to 1.5 times the points of a standard studio and sleep up to 6.

2. A one bedroom with 2 queen beds instead of the king bed. We would much prefer this, as more of our daughters would get beds vs. sleeping on pullouts.

3. More Concierge rooms. Although AKV has a few, I would love to see a new resort that had even more. I took a girls only trip in September and we stayed concierge and I am now spoiled for life.

As a side note, we are not members of DVC (I would love to be, it is just not in the finances at this time and I will have to content myself with renting for now), but if we had the money today we would probably buy at AKV because of the variety of room accommodations.

What are your thoughts?

 

[photobob]

I'd like to see a little more kitchen to the kitchenettes in studios.

 

[mckryan]

I'd like a studio with a king bed.

 

[della]

I would like to see two real beds in all the studios.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

In the GV's I would like to see the biggest spare bedroom have a set of bunk beds in addition to the 2 queen beds, the room is certaily big enough. Though they say they sleep 12, not everybody's a couple and it would be nice for the kids to be able to sleep alone!

 

[photobob]

I would like to see two real beds in all the studios.

For the two of us I prefer having the couch so we can have a place to lounge besides the bed.

 

[WendyinNC]

I have 4 kids so a dedicated 2BR with double bunks in the 2nd BR would be great!

 

[SCDizneyDawn]

I also would love to see studios with a king bed

 

[mybabesuz]

A studio with one bed and a set of bunk beds.
Like some of the regular rooms at AKL.

 

[rtobe]

I would like to see two real beds in all the studios.

I'm with you. Often it is myself and a friend, we flip a coin to see who gets the bed.

In studios more of fridge. And please put a corkscrew in the kitchen.

 

[DebbieB]

Two real beds in both studios & 1 bedrooms. Not instead of the current setup, but in addition to, for trips with friends.

 

[BlakeNJ]

I'd like to see an option with bunks. I'd pay a point or two more to guarantee them! My kids love them! Guess for now we'll have to book THV for the bunks!

 

[pouncingpluto]

I'd like a studio with a king.

Actually, though, I'm much happier about the studios than I used to be, since our last trip. My husband and I don't sleep well in something smaller than a king generally, though we rough it in a queen when we have to. I discovered how easily the sleeper couches pull out/fold up and that they are already made up, so I gave sleeping on it a try. It was really comfortable!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

A tree house villa with queen-sized beds in all the bedrooms. We don't have kids to be using bunk beds.

I'm all for a king-sized bed in some of the studios. For us, we wouldn't need the fold-out couch. They could replace it with a couple of arm chairs instead to make room for the bigger bed.

I'd also like some 3-bedrooms that aren't "grand villas." For example, grand villas have a bunch of extra space and ammentities that make them many more points than a 2-bedroom plus a studio. It'd be nice to have a setup like a 2-bedroom attached to a lockoff studio.

2-bedrooms where there's a way to provide some privacy for those using the fold-out couch.

A loft suite -- a two-floor studio with an open loft... maybe with a spiral staircase.

 

[lisareniff]

How about a GV with 4 bedrooms?? Perhaps one of the rooms having bunks? This would make it easier for 2 families to stay together.

 

[deej696]

Two real beds in both studios & 1 bedrooms. Not instead of the current setup, but in addition to, for trips with friends.

I agree. We always stay in studios, and would love to invite friends to join us more, but we rarely do because I feel bad saying "oh by the way, you have to sleep on the pull out in our fancy schmancy DVC villa..."

 

[pouncingpluto]

A loft suite -- a two-floor studio with an open loft... maybe with a spiral staircase.

This sounds like the garden suites at the Boardwalk Inn.

 

[Dean]

Haven't we done this at least 3 or 4 times before. The truth is that most of these options makes NO sense and are not feasible. They are specialty rooms that are not workable from a system standpoint. If it doesn't make sense for all units that size to be the way you suggest, no reason to do it. The studio enhancements (King bed, better kitchenette) are exactly what the newer Marriott studios have. King bed, pull out queen, utensils, cook ware and the like. And many resorts also have smaller Dishwashers in studios. Even a W/D or one of those single unit W/D combo's for the studio. DVC could fairly easily upgrade the kitchenettes with the next hard refurbishment. Most units are actually too small to do the King as a retrofit and keep the pull out love seat. And size would be an issue for the W/D but plumbing wouldn't be if they went with an all in one unit.

Even better might be the route Bluegreen has gone with some of their resorts, that is 2 BR lockoff's that are two 1 BR put together or 3 BR that lockoff into a 2 BR and 1 BR. One resort I own in LV has mirror image full 1 BR units that are lockoff's. Bluegreen has several resorts with Dx and Standard 1 BR combo's. The differences tend to be the size of the kitchen, King vs Queen in the master, whirlpool or not and sheer size. They tend to put W/D, DW, fireplaces where applicable in both sides. The price is usually around 10-20% difference. The problem comes in when you trade to one of those resorts and you get the smaller 1 BR because there's no way to direct which one your getting other than simply requesting. Marriott has done the same in several instances for the 3 BR units locking off to a 2 & 1 BR.

 

[allshookup]

Well it's still fun to dream & I would love to see a 1 BR with bunk beds behind a partition, since my DD won't sleep with her little brother (not that I blame her since he kicks & ends up sideways), so I always have to bring a blow up mattress. I hate having to pull out & put the LR couch back every day & same with the blow-up. I think they could even shrink the bathroom down. I personally can't stand the way the bathrooms are configured...going through 3 doors to get to the toilet from the MB is just odd & I don't need 2 bathroom sinks.

 

[Dean]

Well it's still fun to dream & I would love to see a 1 BR with bunk beds behind a partition, since my DD won't sleep with her little brother (not that I blame her since he kicks & ends up sideways), so I always have to bring a blow up mattress. I hate having to pull out & put the LR couch back every day & same with the blow-up. I think they could even shrink the bathroom down. I personally can't stand the way the bathrooms are configured...going through 3 doors to get to the toilet from the MB is just odd & I don't need 2 bathroom sinks.

There are two approaches to this type of subject. One, the one we usually see, is a daydreaming situation with no basis in reality. The problem is that many of those people don't actually get it and think these things are feasible simply because it fits their own situation. Things like 2 queen 1 BR, sleep 6 1 BR at about the same number of points, bunk beds (to a degree) are not feasible options from a system or sales standpoint. There certainly are things that could be done in a new resort going forward. You could have hotel rooms without a kitchen at all. You could have double lockoff's that effectively make a 3 BR for less than the current GV points, you could have 1 BR sleep 6 but expect about 80-85% the points cost of a 2 BR, you could have 4 BR and on and on. SSR would have been the perfect spot to do patio homes, or even 4-5 BR lake homes but can you imagine the points.